Friday, March 20, 2015

everywhere classroom {outside}...

a new pack of sidewalk chalk leads to...

writing: practicing letter formation

pride: initiating & completing an activity with success

patience: teaching others letters & spelling, waiting for turns

flexibility: making mistakes and bouncing back

empathy: taking time to teach a younger sibling, to understand her level and teaching to that

fine motor: holding the chalk, writing on a variety of surfaces



a little reminder that learning happens everywhere...


Wednesday, March 18, 2015

inspiration from {the artful parent}...


i love doing projects involving nature, and we just happened to have a bouquet of flowers that was about to make its way to the compost bin...



head over to the artful parent for the full description...

thanks for the inspiration, the artful parent!

Monday, March 16, 2015

family + art = the hammer museum...


we love doing things as a family...

going on adventures, discovering new places, exploring the places we already love...

recently, we discovered the hammer museum... and all of it's amazing programs.  they offer programs for all ages, and the children's programs are nothing short of outstanding.   so far, we've attending an event on looking at art together using gamesa dino laboratory, and most recently, a build-a-bike event.

follow me over here to read more...

Friday, March 13, 2015

everywhere classroom {at home}...



sometimes, i can get a little panicky when thinking if my children are getting enough.  enough exposure.  enough reading.  enough socialization.  enough free time.  enough play.  enough math.  and the list goes on.

i thought it would be helpful to remind myself (and anyone else who might need it!) of all the learning that happens every single day.  while prepared activities and planned projects can be wonderful, what's really amazing is watching children learn through simple, everyday activities.  sometimes at home, sometimes at the grocery store, sometimes at a park...  sometimes on a road trip or an adventure... wherever... learning is happening constantly.  

it's comforting to know that we don't always need a lesson plan, or a big field trip, or the perfect materials to teach our children.  they're already learning.  all the time.  

so here's a little breakdown of how that might look, in an everyday activity, like doing the laundry...


responsibility: taking care of household chores, seeing the effects of this on the family

math: pouring the right amount of detergent, identifying the numbers on the display

reading: reading & choosing the right settings, water temperature, etc.

fine motor: pouring the detergent, pushing the buttons

color identification: sorting the clothes by darks/lights

collaboration: determining who does what


so, on those days when it seems like nothing has gotten done, be sure that learning has.



Wednesday, March 11, 2015

some inspiration {oak meadow}...


with the changes of our days came some changes in the way we've been homeschooling.  finding what works, what doesn't work, and making some tweaks here and there.  

my husband was looking for a little more guidance.  it was overwhelming when all of a sudden we switched places.  we talked about scheduling the days a little more, trusting the natural process of learning, being more diligent about planning activities, getting a homeschooling curriculum... 

what i discovered in those conversations and decisions is what a fluid process this is.  and that's the beauty of it.  we can change whenever we need to.  

we decided on getting a curriculum.  it's very gentle, and very flexible.  that's partially because of how it's written, and partially because of how we're using it.  we can make it as rigid or as flexible as we want.  it gives us ideas when we need them, some guidance when we need it... and at this moment in our lives, that's exactly what we were looking for.  

(language arts... building a lower case h)


the curriculum we chose is oak meadow.  it's a waldorf-based curriculum, incorporating nature and life-learning, while providing a guide for language arts, science, social studies, and math.  it can easily be built into our days... reading fairy tales for bedtime stories, focusing on some science concepts when going for a nature walk, peeking at the moon's phases before we go to bed.  it's not a sit-at-the-table-and-do-your-work kind of curriculum.  which just wouldn't work for us.

(math concepts... math gnomes)

(language arts)

now, i can see how sometimes, it's nice to have a plan already made.  although, other times, there's no need for a plan at all.  and this fits that just perfectly.  we make adjustments when we want to, put it aside when we want to, or use every bit when we want to.  


(science... pressing leaves)


so for now, this is where we are.  we'll see what tomorrow brings...

(language arts)


Monday, March 9, 2015

welcoming changes...

how things have changed since that last post...

it's funny, i didn't even realize how long it's been since then, and then i took a look at the date, and it all made sense.

this stay-at-home mama has gone back to work.  

well, at least part time.  

back into the classroom.

and my lovely husband is the homeschooling papa now :)

while it's definitely been an adjustment, it really is amazing how opportunities arise when we're open to them... and how easily we can all adapt to new things, even if we do resist at first.

i have this quote posted in our kitchen, right above the sink...


resist challenge and the challenge will consume you.
welcome it and discover new freedoms and opportunities.

(quoted by sam morris, who i had the pleasure to meet at the realm)

and it's been absolutely true. 

the word "challenge" can easily be replaced with "change".  because, change can sure be hard, too.

but, when change is in front of us, i'm amazed at all the good that can come of it.